Hopps and Wilde: The Cases
by QuantumMaster
Summary: Although a year has passed since the Night Howler incident, crime still casts its shadow over Zootopia and it is officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde that must shed the light of truth on this shadow. Yet, despite their constant efforts, darkness always smothers the light...
1. First Case: The Butcher

**Before this chapter begins, I would like to thank Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps for all the help that he provided in the production of this chapter.**

 **Now, as for the story, the story will be a long one, containing cases the Judy and Nick will be investigating. Most cases will span from 15 to 30 chapters.**

 **The title of the chapter will be starting with "Case No #" each time a new case begins.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoy this.**

* * *

 _Precinct 1 – Zootopia – 4:45 pm_

Officer Judy Hopps, first bunny cop of Zootropolis and best officer of Precinct 1, was sitting silently at her desk on the second floor of the Precinct, listening to Gazelle's latest hits.

Fifteen minutes were keeping her away from a nice drive to her apartment and a hot bubble bath.

Normally, she wouldn't mind staying at her post for a bit more, since she was always happy to help her fellow officers. But not today. It appeared that "a couple of documents", as Chief Bogo called them, which had to do with the Night Howlers case, had remained unchecked for over a year.

Judy sighed.

If only they were just "couple of documents".

She's been signing and double-checking papers for about five hours and her paw was now used to only two motions; pick a sheet, sign it and repeat.

It was obvious that most of the paperwork contained information regarding the "disturbance" and "inconvenience" caused by officer Hopps and her assistant, Nick Wilde.

Since Nick wasn't an officer at the time, he has no authority or responsibility over their actions. Thus, she was forced to do all the work by herself.

Truth be told, she and Nick caused quite a lot of trouble. The arrest of Mayor Lionheart and Bellwether kept the city in turmoil for a quite long time. Only lately have the relations between Predators and Preys improved. Not fully healed, mind you. There were still many mammals that tried to avoid any lions that dared to sit beside them.

Judy couldn't really blame them. Due to the savagery caused by the Night Howlers, many lost members of their families. Yet, it was still inconceivable how fear still prevailed after so much proof regarding the Night Howlers had come to the surface.

Judy just sighed and laid back on her seat. Usually Judy would be on her guard for any sudden Chief Bogo appearances. Luckily, Chief Bogo had "urgent" business that he had to attend to and decided to leave as temporary chief their fellow timber wolf cop, officer Wolford.

Truth is that the first time Bogo left Wolford to inspect the Precinct, most of her colleagues were terrified by the idea of the timber wolf running their facility. But after a while, everyone calmed, since Wolford would have them spend their time "productively" by letting them sleep at their desk and even order Chinese for the whole Precinct.

All that without Bogo even having the tiniest idea of what had really happened when he returned.

"HOPPS!"

Judy's thoughts were cut short as the thick bass voice drilled her ears. In only a glimpse of an eye, she stood straight on her feet, her ears stretched up as high as they could.

If her face was to be roared at by Bogo once again, she would be at her feet while happening.

Yet, instead of the usual complains of her chief, she was greeted by the chuckles and snickers of Wolford. Judy's ears immediately lowered, but her eyes still ablaze with anger.

Normally, she would have tackled Wolford with all her force, but she knew that after the initial shock, Wolford would easily just pin her down.

She decided that just scolding him off would be the best approach for the current situation.

"You are unbelievable, Wolford." Judy sighed as she returned to her desk.

"Your partner is unbelievable, Hopps!" Wolford remarked in his normal, Australian-like accent, as he pointed towards Nick's office.

True.

The once con-fox was peacefully taking a nap, his paws over his belly and his feet placed on his desk.

"It is unbelievable how this guy can still sleep, when there's tons of work to be done." Wolford once again remarked as he grabbed a nearby chair and sat on it.

"You have no idea, Wolf, you have no idea." Judy simply replied.

Wolford got back to his feet and silently approached Nick. It was obvious that the fox hadn't taken notice of Wolford's sudden appearance.

"I think that we should pull a prank on him. You know… for sleeping while on duty."

Judy couldn't help it but let a small giggle leave her lips.

"You know, while it is not an entirely bad idea, I would suggest that you leave him alone."

"What do you mean?" Wolford protested. "You claim that I can't plan any entertaining and _safe_ pranks?"

"Yep, that's the long-short of it."

The timber wolf just mischievously eyed the bunny, before he proceeded towards the stairs.

"I'm gonna remember that, Hopps." Wolford told, annoyed by her little comment.

"Love you, too." Judy once again teased the timber wolf, as she sarcastically waved him goodbye.

Once the timber wolf left, Judy had a quick glimpse of her cPhone's clock.

 _5:00 pm_

Time to go home.

Judy once again got back to her feet and headed towards Nick.

She quickly jumped on his desk, right beside his feet.

After a quick glance over her partner, she concluded that the best choice she had to wake him was one.

She made a few steps back to add up to her momentum. After a few seconds, she shot forward at a blinding speed, jumped from the edge of the desk and landed on Nick's exposed belly.

Nick rapidly opened his eyes, which almost popped out due to the pressure applied at the lower parts of his body.

"Who?! What?! Where?!" Nick screamed as he quickly scanned the room.

After a couple of seconds, Nick's turned to the source of the abrupt end of his nap.

"Carrots, what the h…" Nick wanted to say, before he met her magenta-colored eyes that yelled at him to stop.

Nick sighed.

Nick immediately calmed down and signaled his partner to get off him. Once he was back to his feet, he found the chance to speak.

"I suppose it is time to leave, then." He said as he cleaned the dust off his shoulders.

* * *

 _Random cab – 5:10 pm_

"…then, Wolford decided that it would be the proper time to pull a prank on you."

Nick stood dumbfounded by Judy's description over the events that took place before he woke up.

After a few moments, Nick shook his head, regaining his awareness.

"He probably wants revenge for what I did to him last week." Nick said as he aimlessly stared at the roof of the cab, obviously smirking.

Judy snapped him out of it with a soft hit with her elbow.

"Oh yeah…sorry. I am still impressed by myself." Nick replied as he once again eyed Judy.

"As I saying, last week, when Bogo decided to leave on formal business again and left Wolford in charge, I decided that it would be the perfect time for a prank without consequences."

"Classic." Judy whispered.

Nick frowned, but resumed his story.

"You know how wolfs can act regarding lemons, right?" Nick asked.

Judy could do nothing but feel her stomach going upside down. Most canine mammals are quite sensitive to lemons, thus, when tasting one, the start sneezing and coughing, unable to withstand the sour flavor of their nemesis.

Nick went on with his story.

"Well, I had prepared a lemon that was dipped in liquid caramel, which made it unrecognizable. That morning, I walked up to Wolford and passed it off as a caramel _apple_." He said, softening his voice as he described the whole trick of the prank.

"Sly fox." Judy admired as she gave him a soft hit on his shoulder.

"That's not all. It also seems that our dear Wolford is allergic to lemons." Nick said.

Judy widened her eyes.

"Yes, Judy, it is as you think. A couple of minutes later, I found him vomiting in a trash can. Luckily, he said nothing to Bogo."

"Dumb fox." Judy sighed as she gave him another, more sustained hit on his shoulder.

Nick rubbed his shoulder and opened his mouth to complain, but Judy spoke first.

"Here we are." She said as she gave the driver a ten dollar bill and jumped out of the car, with Nick following suit.

Both of the hastily headed towards the main entrance of the department house. Luckily, the elevator was waiting for them near the entrance, thus, in less than a minute, they were at the last of floor, right beside their door.

Judy embraced the silence that the last floor provided them. When they decided to live in the same department, since it would be more easily to go to and return from the Precinct and their expenses would be less.

As a result of that decision, many mistook them for a couple, but after long elaboration, their colleagues accepted they were just friends.

Once Nick opened the door, they were both welcomed by the smell of blueberries.

They were actually lucky that the numerous crates of blueberries, which Nick had asked for in his birthday, were emitting their scent. They were also lucky that her parents didn't ask what she needed the blueberries for.

Before Judy had even managed to place her keys on the nearby table, she saw Nick storming off towards the bathroom.

No!

She will be the first to have a bath!

In only a few nanoseconds, she stormed off as well.

She was faster that her partner, but he managed to enter the bathroom first whatsoever.

"Nick, please, let me have a bath first!" Judy yelled on one side of the door, outside the bathroom.

She could hear Nick snickering.

"No way, Carrots. In this house, the one law that prevails is the Law of the Jungle. Whoever comes first gets to have a bath."

Judy had a slow and steady exhale, as she slowly got away from the door.

"Except if you want us to bathe together. I don't really mind." He said through the door.

Judy's ears turned red as she violently turned her gaze towards the door.

"Nick!"

"Just kidding!" he replied once he let the water flow in the bathtub.

* * *

 _Wilde-Judy Apartment – 7.30 pm_

"Nick, when was the last time either of us paid a friendly visit at the market?" Judy asked while looking at the empty cupboards hanging on the kitchen.

"Don't know, Fluff, honestly." He replied as he sat on the couch and unlocked his cPhone.

It was 7.30 and he was starving.

"You know, Fluff, instead of paying a friendly visit at the market, we could do so at that pizzeria in the corner. I've heard they have an awesome vegetarian pizza."

Judy turned her gaze towards Nick. Truth is that it was long since the last time Nick took her out.

"I'm flattered that you want a date." Judy replied, trying to tease the fox.

But Nick Wilde knew better. Even if he was affected by her teasing, it wasn't visible.

"And I'm flattered that you agree." He quickly shot out. "I'm not surprised that I, Nicholas Wilde, also known as the most handsome fox of Zootropolis, managed to convince you to accompany me in this…what is it called… oh, yes… date."

Judy's ears stretched up and her cheeks turned red. It seemed that Nick always had the proper comeback to tease her. But, if she was to fall, she would take him down as well.

"Sure, let's call it a date."

Nick almost coughed out the blueberries he was eating.

"What?" he exclaimed.

"It's a date." Judy declared, still red, but with a grin on her lips.

Nick's ears lowered. All this felt a bit awkward for him now.

Judy's grin only grew wider.

Finally, she had gotten him for good.

* * *

 _Downtown Showdown – 8.30 pm_

"Get away from me you pervert!" Judy screamed as she tried to push Nick off.

"But dates hold their hands while walking." Nick said, obviously playing dumb.

Judy frowned once again. He was really enjoying this. He had regained his composure and decided to take revenge for the whole dating thing.

Nick seemed to notice the frown, but decided to keep on with the teasing.

"Oh, Carrots, let me make up for the teasing." Nick rubbed his chin with his paw, pretending to be thinking.

"Is there any way to repay you when we get home tonight?" He asked, going for the most serious look he managed to form on his face.

"What do you m…Oh sweet cheese and crackers!" Judy exclaimed as she once again pushed Nick away from her, secretly enjoying the teasing.

In fact, Nick was the only mammal she ever opened herself to. Despite the constant teasing, Nick could become quite understanding at times. During the past year, he has helped and assisted her with any problem she came across. The Night Howlers case was one thing, but the matter was more complex than that.

When he graduated from the academy and joined the crew of Precinct 1, Judy was already coping with tons of work that Bogo had placed upon her shoulders. Not only did Nick help her solve any pending cases, but he also always had a smart comeback for the insults of their Chief.

When her parents bothered her with the whole "dangerous job" stuff, Nick was the one who would let her hug him and calm her down.

Nick had obviously become a huge part of her life.

"Zootopia to Carrots. Fluff, are you in there?"

Judy shook her head, snapping out of her large river of thoughts she just swam through. She noticed Nick's waving paw in front of her face.

"You've been standing there for a couple minutes now. Are you planning to take your eyes off the sign?"

 _Downtown Showdown_

That's what the sign said.

"We're here." Judy whispered.

"Yeah, come on. I'm starving. Although I wouldn't mind eating a roasted rabbit either."

Judy decided not to reply to that. She had learned her lesson. Don't try to defeat Nick with a comeback, because he always wins.

Nick led them to an empty table placed at one of the far corners of the pizzeria. No sooner had they taken their seats before an armadillo waitress showed up.

"Are you ready to order?" she said as took out her notepad, ready to take their order.

Nick took the initiative and spoke first. "I suppose we would like two small sized pizzas." He said as he quickly glanced at Judy in case she disagreed, but instead, she just nodded.

"That doesn't really enlightened me." The waitress said as she patiently stood there.

"One with anchovies and one with…." Nick made a stop there, probably waiting for Judy to complete his phrase.

"The most veg pizza you have, please." Judy replied.

"They should be handed to you in ten minutes." The armadillo said before heading towards the kitchen.

Judy shot quick glances all over the place. The pizzeria was almost empty, a bad sign regarding their food.

"So… have any idea why Bogo is leaving the Precinct so often?" Nick asked in order to go with their previous chat.

"I don't know and I can't really care." Judy replied. "Thanks to Wolford, we are able to chill once in a while."

"Yes, I know, but isn't it the least bit weird? The chief? Leaving his office? It's like Christmas morning. Although there is no reason for it to exist, we just celebrate it."

Judy was dumbfounded by her partner's awful analogy, but decided to let it rest.

"So… enjoying the date?" Nick asked, his signature smirk once again evident on his face.

Judy's eyes turned into ones made of fiery death, but Nick's chill personality held him from panicking.

"It is quite enjoyable, if we exclude the fact that my date is a dumb fox. What about you?"

"The same, if we exclude that dumb bunny." Nick replied with the same smirk.

GOD. DAMNIT.

He managed to do it again.

After a moment that felt like it was ages, she let out a snicker.

That snicker turned into laughter.

Nick couldn't hold it either. The one thing he couldn't do with his bunny partner was stay solemn.

"Yeah, but I'm you dumb bunny, right?" Judy said as her laughter died out.

"Well, more like me being your dumb fox."

Judy was to answer that, before the pizzas arrived and were placed in front of them by the armadillo. Without saying a word, the turtle-like mammal left, leaving them alone once again.

"I don't really care if the food sucks, I'm starving right now."

Nick agreed with Judy's statement. He was ready to dig into his anchovy pizza, when Judy's cPhone rang.

The bunny took the smartphone out of her pocket and checked the calling name. Her face went pale.

"Who is it?" Nick asked, having noticed his partner's facial expression.

"Bogo… hurray." She exclaimed sarcastically as she accepted the call.

"Chief, I'm eating, is this so important?" she said.

Their chief's heavy voice echoed through the speakers.

" _Hopps, where is Wilde?"_

"Right beside me. Why?" she asked.

" _There's been a homicide here and seems to be pretty dire. Come here and do your thing."_ The Chief demanded.

"Our thing, sir?"

" _You know, the way you two solve cases. You know, you go the crime scene, notice something completely random which proves to be a lead, and then you solve the case through that."_

"If you are the chief, shouldn't you be able to do all that by yourself?" Nick said, hoping that Bogo heard him through the device.

After a moment of silence, the bulky chief replied.

" _Shut up! Just carry your tails over here!"_

With that, the chief hang up, leaving the two officers alone.

There is no rest for the wicked after all.

* * *

 _Tundratown – 10:00 pm_

A large crowd had gathered around the crime scene, which was bordered by police tape and security.

Both Judy and Nick arrived, still in their civilian clothes.

They were about to enter when one of the security polar bears stopped them.

"Entrance's only for authorized personnel."

"We are ZPD, sir. We are certainly authorized to pass."

The bear seemed to be ready to argue about that but was cut short by Bogo.

"They're with me."

The polar bear nodded and let the two officers go.

"So… what's the case chief?" Nick asked.

"There is no case. A family of foxes was found murdered, that's all."

"Yeah, I mean, did you find anything special?"

"Look it for yourself." Bogo replied as he stopped them.

For moment, both Judy and Nick were happy they didn't find the time to eat. Cause the sight that their eyes met was not pleasant.

All the members of the family had their fur and skin missing, their bones, joints and muscles visible. The smell of blood and pain was carried by the cold wind that blowed through Tundratown, making the air surrounding them feel heavier.

"What happened to these people?" Judy asked, disgusted by the sight.

"They were skinned. Luckily, the forensic surgeon claims that were long dead before their fur went missing."

Judy turned her gaze towards her partner.

Nick was obviously pale with horror and dread. One doesn't need to be acquainted with the victims to feel the pain of death. Just the fact that he was the same species made it bad enough.

"Nick, are you alright?" Judy asked, having noticed her partner shocked looks.

"Don't worry, Carrots, I'm fine." He said, not taking his eyes away from the corpses. "It's just… they don't prepare you for this things in the academy…"

Judy took his paw and grasped it tightly.

"Don't worry, I'm here for you."

* * *

 **Hope you liked this very first chapter. There are more to come.**

 **Reviews are much appreciated, along with some constructive criticism.**


	2. Forensic Science

**Alright, guys, this will be the second chapter for this story, but first, I would like to thank you, guys, for supporting me in this. Also, I would like to acknowledge** **Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps and Jason Fuze's help in the production of this chapter.**

 **Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

 _Precinct 1 – 6:00 am_

It was early morning and a day after the homicide.

Judy and Nick, after a tiresome night at the crime scene, were forced, after a short, two hour nap, to be present at the Precinct that morning.

"Bogo must be pretty damn serious about this case, huh?" Nick commented as they entered the Precinct.

"Yup, probably the Mayor has gone up Bogo's tail again." Judy replied, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to stay focused.

Although the bull chief had proven to be quite proficient and understanding during these past few months of the two officers working there, Judy still couldn't forget the first impression that stubborn giant piece of beef had given him.

 _There are some new recruits among us that I should introduce, but I don't care._

 _Do you think the mayor asked what I wanted when he assigned you to me?_

 _Life is not some cartoon musical where you sing a little song and your insipid dreams magically come true!_

"Hey, guys, you finally came! The chief's been waiting for you!" Clawhauser announced.

"Yes, Ben. Thanks, Ben." Judy thanked the obese cheetah, before grabbing Nick and literally pulling him up the stairs.

"You, guys, are kinda a mess!" Clawhauser yelled from the reception.

"Thanks for this accurate observation, Benji, but we know." Nick replied as he softly slapped Judy's paw to release himself from her grasp.

"I think I can make it on my own." He hummed with Judy just nodding.

After around a dozen of stair steps, the two officers reached the second floor and stood right outside the Chief's office.

"Should we knock?" Judy asked.

"Nuh, I think he doesn't mind…."

 _You are one hot dancer, Chief Bogo._

Judy stared at the door, not sure how to react.

"I don't know either." Nick replied, seemingly reading his partner's mind.

 _I'm Gazelle and you are one ho-_

Nick abruptly knocked the door, expecting their chief to cut the crap and let them in.

"Come in." Bogo's voice echoed from the room.

Nick opened the door, letting Judy go first before following suit.

While Judy was obviously concentrated on their task, despite how sleepy she was, Nick on the other hand was fighting the urge to laugh. Although the whole station knew about their chief's one and only weakness, which was none other than Gazelle, it was the first time he had witnessed it for himself.

"Wilde, are you intending to sit?"

Nick snapped out and nodded. He had to play cool through this conversation.

"So, chief, anything new?" Judy asked as she scratched her left ear, something that Nick recognized as an act of nervousness.

"Hold on." The bull said before reaching for his radio transmitter. "Clawhauser, tell Dr. Blunt that he may come to my office now."

" _Yes, chief."_ Clawhauser's light voice was heard from the radio.

"Now…" the chief once again began "…as you both well know, a family of red foxes was found dead and skinned in Tundratown, at around 9:00 pm. The corpses were relatively fresh, but their decay rate was probably altered by the temperature. I called one of our top forensics to help in the clarification of this case."

A knock on the door cut short the chief's explanations. After a few moments, the door opened and a lion made its way towards them.

"Officers, I'm happy to introduce you Dr. Ror, first lion valedictorian of both the nursing and medicine universities. Dr. Blunt, these are officers Hopps and Wilde-"

"There is no reason for you introduce them." The lion said in its heavy voice, interrupting the chief. "There's been a long debate regarding you in the university."

Both officers curiously eyed the lion, not sure how to answer that.

"What do you mean?" Judy asked, as she once again started scratching her ear, not sure if she wanted to hear what the doc had to say.

"Oh, I thought you knew. Everyone in the medicine school are wondering if any offspring could be produced by an interspecies couple such as yourselves."

A blush immediately formed on Judy's face, not sure how to react to such claims. Sure, she and Nick were really close, but not _that_ close.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I follow you." Nick calmly replied to the lion.

"Most of us assumed that since you live in the same apartment, you might have some sort of affair and-"

"Well, maybe you and your colleagues should mind your own business."

Nick turned to Judy.

"Don't lose your cool, Carrots." He whispered.

"But, Nick-"Judy wanted to protest, but the chief decided to intervene.

"That's enough." The bulky chief hit his desk with his fist "I called you here to share your findings with us, not humiliate my officers."

"Y-Yes, chief Bogo, apologies." The lion approached the desk and handed an envelope to the chief.

Bogo got hold of the envelope. He had a few quick glances at it, before leaving it on top of one the lockers behind him.

"I'll check it later. As for now, please explain us in a couple of words what's the situation."

The lion nodded before making his way to one end of the desk in order to be able to catch a sight of everyone in the room.

Both Nick and Judy, shaken by their little argument with the doctor but still steadfast, returned to their seats.

Dr. Ror, seeing that everyone expected him to begin, started accounting the facts.

"Since last night, my team has been working non-stop to find any possible leads and clues. After a long and, if I may, boring procedure, we examined all vitals, we have concluded that it wasn't a blade that ended the foxes' life. It is evident by abnormal spots on the heart and kidneys of all the victims that it was a peculiar substance that did the job. As for the skinning, judging by the accurate and even cuts, the instrument must have been a gutting knife primarily used on fish."

"Do you have an idea of what kind of poison it might be?" Judy asked.

"Well, the parents' blood stream contained a small amount of alcohol, while the children's blood stream contained a reasonable quantity of vitamin C, its source remains unclear, but it is elaborated that it might have been orange juice."

"Maybe they went to a restaurant for dinner, before going maybe to a pub to have something to drink." Nick commented, both Judy and Bogo nodding. "And if it affected only the kidneys and the heart, it means the killer didn't want them to die on the spot."

The lion nodded to Nick's remark.

"It means that the killer may be a waiter or a bartender of sorts."

All four nodded on that last speculation.

"But there are hundreds of restaurants and pubs all around Tundratown, there's no way we can visit them all without the killer feeling threatened." Nick commented, obviously expecting a solution to that part of the plan.

"My team is already conducting multiple studies on the remnants of the poison. The results should be out tomorrow morning." The lion announced, comforting Nick a bit.

"What are we supposed to do with all this mess, then?" Judy asked, shifting her gaze from the lion to the chief.

"Patrol." Replied the bulky bull chief. "You'll go out tonight and patrol the streets of Tundratown."

Both officers nodded before getting back to their feet.

"Oh, and one last thing."

Nick and Judy turned back to their chief.

"Go to the armory and grab yourselves a couple of pistols. Just in case."

Both fox and bunny nodded and left the room.

* * *

 _Apartment – 7:30 am_

Both Judy and Nick rushed inside their apartment and locked the door.

The chief was kind enough to let them return home in order to rest. After all they had a long night in front of them.

"So, Carrots, we have another twelve hours before we have to return to the Precinct. What are you planning to do?" Nick asked as he collapsed on the couch, exhausted and sleepy after their sleepless night.

"Nothing more than you are planning to do." Judy replied as she collapsed on the couch, alongside Nick.

A few moments passed before Nick found the courage to speak.

"You like being here with me, don't you."

Judy's ears jumped straight up before she got off the couch.

"You pervert!" she yelled at him before picking up a pillow and striking him with it.

Despite the constant hits by Judy, Nick's grin didn't leave his face.

Although only a few hours had passed since he last teased her, he had to admit it; he had missed it already.

Judy was ready to hit him once again before he tackled her down and grabbed the pillow.

"My turn." He whispered, still grinning.

Judy got back to her feet and run towards her bedroom to grab another pillow.

Nick just shook his head and pursued her.

* * *

 _Flashback – Wilde Household – 20 years ago._

An eight year old Nick rushed through the streets, trying to outrun his pursuers.

He found the courage to turn his head for a moment, in case they had lost him. Nope, they were still there, actually catching up on him. However, he wouldn't need to run for much longer; his home was only a hundred meters from that point.

Nick decided to give it a shot and run as fast as he could.

Despite the danger, Nick couldn't help but grin. He loved the action, the thrill of the hunt, if we exclude he was the prey.

That hot burning in the lungs when you're running as hard as you can, the footsteps of your pursuer echoing so much that you can't tell if they are near or just behind you, the fleeting blurred glimpse as you snatch a look behind…

Although he usually was a quiet kid, always embracing loneliness and silence as if they were his friends, Nick appreciated excitement.

Nick shot a glance behind him. His pursuers were gone.

Nick sighed and stopped sprinting. He scanned the nearby area, expecting to find them.

Nothing.

Nick raised an eyebrow. It wasn't usual for the bullies of his school to quit so easily.

Maybe it was his lucky day.

Nick laughed. He had won.

He closed his eyes and exhaled.

The sudden sound of steps behind him reminded him of his latest statement; they never give up. Before they could grab him, Nick shot off towards his home.

In only a matter of seconds, he took his keys, unlocked the door and hastily scurried inside his house.

He could hear the protests and insults of his bully pursuers as they violently knocked the door.

"Come outside, Wilde!"

"No way, Blake!" Nick replied to his hyena nemesis, Blake Hund.

"Alright, then! Have it your way." Blake shouted from the other side of the door.

Nick's eyes widened. He wouldn't dare!

"On the count of three! One… Two… Three…"

* * *

"Charge!"

Nick's thoughts were cut short by Judy's cry for battle. Before he could even react, a medium-sized fur ball tackled him to the ground.

Judy, with one hand holding a pure white pillow and another adding pressure on Nick's chest to prevent him from getting up, started mercilessly hitting him with the pillow.

She couldn't help but laugh. She hadn't pillow-battled anyone for quite a while.

After a few short moments, she decided to stop.

"Fight back, dumb fox!" Judy demanded with a smirk as wide as possible.

Nick didn't reply. He probably was lost in his thoughts once again.

Judy decided to hit him once again with the pillow. Before she could bring it down on his face, Nick reacted in blinding speed, grabbing it and tossing it away.

"Enough." He said, and with that he got back to his feet, throwing Judy off him and letting her softly hit the ground.

Nick headed towards his bedroom.

"Nick, what happened-"

"Not now." He spat back as he closed the door. "I need some time to think."

And with that, Nick went silent.

* * *

 **Although this chapter is far shorter, it is as important as the rest.**

 **Anyway, hope you liked.**

 **Constructive reviews are appreciated!**

 **Till next time!**


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